BLACKSBURG – Though Virginia Tech defensive end Steven Friday didn't get to see much of Boston College left tackle Anthony Castonzo last season, Friday saw enough to get a feel for what all the fuss is about.

In Virginia Tech's 48-14 manhandling of Boston College last season, Friday was still just a backup end. He remembers seeing Castonzo lined up across from him two or three times when Friday started to get significant reps in the second half. Friday used all the tricks he had learned to try to get in the backfield – hand slaps, spin moves and his best weapon, speed.

As a matter of fact, he got a rude awakening when Castonzo reached out with two giant paws and grabbed hold of Friday, immobilizing all 235 pounds, holding Friday up like a rag doll just long enough to allow the ball to get out of the pocket.

"He's got a serious reach on him," said Friday, who is now a 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior starter at defensive end. "I think he hit me with the reach one time and kind of surprised me. With most (offensive) linemen, I feel like I've got longer arms somehow, but he's got me on the reach."

When Virginia Tech travels to Boston College (2-0) on Saturday for its ACC opener, Friday realizes what will be at stake.

It's not only a chance at redemption against Castonzo. It's an opportunity for Friday to make a name for himself against a player considered by many draft pundits to be the best offensive tackle available for next year's NFL Draft. With the eyes of many pro scouts glued to Castonzo, Friday knows this game could help punch his own long-shot ticket to the NFL.

"It definitely is a premiere game for me," said Friday, who has 12 tackles this season and leads Virginia Tech (1-2) with two sacks. "I like the pressure. I'm like the underdog, so it's going to be a challenge. We'll see how it goes."

At 6-foot-7 and 308 pounds, Castonzo looks like a lot of other left tackles. His technique and athleticism separate him from the rest of the behemoths.

"I think it's his footwork," Friday said. "Most linemen that size, they can't move, but he can actually move in pass blocks and on (run-blocking) drives. Most linemen don't have that heart, but he's pretty solid when it comes to that. He has good mechanics, good hand placement – just everything."

Castonzo, who is part of an elite offensive line Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer described as "typical Boston College," has come a long way since arriving in Chestnut Hill, Mass., in 2007 as a lightly recruited 255-pound lineman out of Fork Union Military Academy.

Since the start of the '07 season, Boston College has played 43 games, and Castonzo has started every one of them. He became the first Eagles offensive lineman to start as a true freshman since Paul Zukauskas in 1997.

Castonzo started at right tackle in '07, before moving to left tackle in '08. Last season, he gave up one sack (to North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn) and missed just nine blocks in 650 snaps on his way to earning first team All-ACC honors.

"He's big, and he's not a fat guy at all," Virginia Tech defensive line coach Charley Wiles said. "He's got a ton of experience. I think he's just athletic. That's the way I would describe him. He's on everybody's radar.

"I think (Friday has) a chance to be a pro prospect. Time is only going to tell. He's playing well. Obviously, going up against good players and putting it on film certainly helps."

Though Friday is going to be responsible for trying to get around the centerpiece of a line that averages 6-6 and 303 pounds per position, and will be blocking for one of the most talented running backs in the ACC in Montel Harris (ACC-leading 98 rushing yards per game), Friday isn't changing his approach. His sub 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash is what makes him unique at the end position. It'll be his most precious asset going against the best tackle he'll see all season.

"I think it's going to be a big duel," Friday said. "All I can do is give it everything I have. It's going to be fun."

When asked earlier this week how difficult it was for Virginia Tech to get a good scouting report on Boston College given the Eagles' velvety-soft early season schedule, coach Frank Beamer didn't buy into the theory.

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